TELPAS Listening and Speaking, Grades 6–8 Practice Tests

Part 1 — Listen and Choose

Listen to the description. Then choose the correct picture.

1. Which picture shows what the speaker describes?

Part 2 — Listen and Choose

Listen to the description. Then choose the correct picture.

1. Which picture shows what the speaker describes?

Part 3 — A Story: Rusty’s Broken Arm

Listen to the story. You may listen again. Then answer the questions.

1. In this section, what can the team’s robot do? (A) draw pictures with a colored marker (B) carry a cup of water from one side of a room to the other (C) pick up blocks and stack them into a tower (D) sort plastic blocks by their color
2. How does Evan feel when the gear breaks? (A) guilty, because he thinks the team will blame him (B) angry, because Paige dropped the robot on the hard floor (C) relieved, because practice ends early (D) calm, because the arm is easy to fix
3. Ms. Carter says the team must “go back to the drawing board.” What does this phrase mean? (A) draw a picture of the robot for the school art show (B) go home and rest before the contest (C) ask the judges for more time (D) start planning again with a new idea
4. Why does Evan want to use metal gears instead of plastic ones? (A) Metal gears make the robot move faster. (B) Metal gears will not snap as easily. (C) Metal gears are lighter to carry. (D) Metal gears were a gift from the judges.
5. Why does the team win the Best Problem Solving award? (A) Rusty stacked more blocks than any other robot. (B) Ms. Carter asked the judges to give her team a special prize. (C) The judges learned how the team redesigned the broken arm. (D) The team finished its robot before the other teams.
6. Which sentence best tells what the story is mostly about? (A) A student learns that a mistake can lead to a better solution. (B) A robot team wins first place because its robot is the fastest. (C) A coach teaches students how to build a camera. (D) Two friends argue about who should control the robot.

Part 7 — Listen and Choose

Listen to the description. Then choose the correct picture.

1. Which picture shows what the speaker describes?

Part 8 — A Talk: Masters of Disguise

Listen to the talk. You may listen again. Then answer the questions.

1. What is this section mostly about? (A) how an octopus catches crabs to eat (B) where sharks and eels like to live (C) how an octopus grows a hard shell (D) why an octopus needs a way to hide
2. What does the word “camouflage” mean in the talk? (A) blending in so that others cannot see you (B) swimming away from danger very quickly in the water (C) changing into a different kind of animal (D) hiding inside a hard shell or a hole
3. How does an octopus change the color of its skin? (A) It eats plants and animals that are different colors. (B) Muscles open and close tiny sacs of color. (C) It sheds its old skin every day. (D) It rubs sand and seaweed on its body.
4. Why does the mimic octopus copy animals such as sea snakes? (A) It wants to make friends with other sea animals. (B) It needs to catch sea snakes for its food. (C) It cannot change the color of its own skin. (D) Predators avoid animals that look dangerous.
5. How does the speaker feel about studying octopuses? (A) bored, because scientists already know everything about them (B) nervous, because octopuses can hurt divers (C) excited, because they keep teaching scientists something new (D) disappointed, because octopuses cannot see colors

Part 11 — Listen and Choose

Listen to the description. Then choose the correct picture.

1. Which picture shows what the speaker describes?

Part 12 — Look, Listen, and Choose

Look at the picture. Listen to the sentences. Then choose the sentence that matches the picture.

1. Which sentence best matches the picture? (A) The girl is feeding pigeons while her grandfather sits on a bench. (B) The girl is feeding ducks while her grandfather stands next to a tree. (C) The boy is feeding ducks while his grandfather sits on a bench. (D) The girl is feeding ducks while her grandfather sits on a bench.

Part 13 — A Talk: The Erie Canal

Listen to the talk. You may listen again. Then answer the questions.

1. What is this section mostly about? (A) how farmers grew wheat in Ohio (B) why moving goods across the country was hard (C) why wagons were the most popular way to travel in the 1800s (D) how people built roads over mountains
2. Why did some people call the canal “Clinton’s Ditch”? (A) They thought the plan was foolish and would fail. (B) Governor Clinton dug the whole canal by himself with a shovel. (C) The canal was named after a famous boat. (D) The canal was too narrow for any boat to use.
3. According to the speaker, what does a lock do? (A) It keeps boats from leaving the canal at night when it is dark. (B) It pulls boats forward with a long rope. (C) It stops the water from freezing in winter. (D) It raises or lowers boats by changing the water level.
4. What pulled the boats along the canal? (A) engines inside the wooden boats (B) workers rowing with long oars (C) horses and mules walking beside the water (D) strong winds blowing into sails
5. What is the speaker’s main point about the Erie Canal? (A) It cost too much money and was soon closed. (B) It made travel and trade easier and helped towns grow. (C) It was built to give horses and mules work. (D) It was mostly used by people on vacation.

Part 16 — Listen and Choose Two

Listen to the description. Then choose the TWO correct pictures.

1. Which TWO pictures match what the speaker describes?

Part 17 — Listen and Choose

Listen to the description. Then choose the correct picture.

1. Which picture shows what the speaker describes?

Part 18 — A Story: Captain Stomp

Listen to the story. You may listen again. Then answer the questions.

1. Why is Megan upset at the beginning of the story? (A) Her friend Jade forgot to sign up for the workshop. (B) Her mother will not let her draw comics anymore. (C) She has to miss a workshop to take care of her brother. (D) Her brother drew all over her new sketchbook.
2. Megan remembers her grandmother’s words: “make the best of it.” What does this phrase mean? (A) win a contest by doing your best work (B) complain until the situation changes (C) choose the best drawing in a book (D) try to enjoy a situation you cannot change
3. How does Megan feel while she and Theo make the comic? (A) happy and surprised by how much fun it is (B) annoyed because Theo keeps interrupting her (C) nervous because the comic has to be finished soon (D) lonely because she misses her friend Jade
4. What does Megan’s message to Jade at the end show? (A) She wants to quit the drawing workshop. (B) She now enjoys spending time with Theo. (C) She is still angry with her mother. (D) She thinks Jade should draw dinosaurs.

Part 4 — Speaking: Explain the Story

1. Explain Evan’s problem in the story and how things changed by the end. Be sure to talk about —

Part 5 — Speaking: Ask a Question

1. Look at the picture. The girl wants to join a club after school. What question could she ask the teacher?

Part 6 — Speaking: Give Your Opinion

1. Some people think every middle school student should join at least one club or team. Do you agree or disagree? Tell what you think and explain why.

Part 9 — Speaking: Tell What You Learned

1. Tell what you learned about how octopuses hide. Be sure to talk about —

Part 10 — Speaking: Tell About an Experience

1. Tell about a time when you learned how to do something that was hard at first. Be sure to tell —

Part 14 — Speaking: Tell What You Learned

1. Tell what you learned about the Erie Canal. Be sure to talk about —

Part 15 — Speaking: Imagine

1. Imagine that you could invent a new way for students to travel to school. Talk about —

Part 19 — Speaking: Explain the Story

1. Explain why Megan was upset at the beginning of the story and how her feelings changed by the end. Use details from the story.

Part 20 — Speaking: Compare Pictures

1. First, describe these two pictures. Next, tell all the ways the pictures are similar. Then, tell all the ways the pictures are different.

Part 21 — Speaking: What Will Happen Next?

1. Look at the picture. What do you think will happen next? Explain.